Performance coaching has had a meteoric rise in popularity over the last 20 years. But it’s still a relatively new field in business and it’s still in evolution. There is currently no single definition for coaching that everyone agrees upon. Nevertheless, here are some insights we’ve gained through experience:
Coaching is based on the fundamental belief that individuals want to, and can, do a good job. If, deep down, you don’t believe this, coaching is probably not for you.
Today, most companies invest in coaching to improve individual performance. The link with organisational performance is often quite blurred and needs to be improved.
Performance coaching is a great support for effective Strategy Execution.
One of the most popular methodologies is GROW ME, developed by Sir John Whitmore.
As Strategy Execution is very much related to content, we often get the following question: As coaching is very much about asking the right questions, can I still provide advice?
Well, don’t feel guilty about providing input because you read somewhere that coaches should not go into content. Go ahead and give your advice. But let your instincts tell you when it is appropriate. One way is to provide input at the end. When you do provide input, make it clear to your coachee that you are stepping out of your “facilitating” role and then provide the input in a direct way.
If you have been coaching for more than 1 session and you know the topic, write your advice down on paper to get a feeling for the tone and directness of the message. Be as concise as possible.
